Chapter Nine

After a night of drinking and dancing, Carson was forced to move heavy furniture. Maeve's conversion of the room into a closet was impressive, but it took a lot of work. Not to mention her extensive wardrobe. Carson assumed she never wore the same outfit twice, based on the variety of fabrics. Some of the items still had tags on them or had not yet been removed from the packaging. It was crazy, but Carson chalked it up to her being a girl.

Despite his annoyance as he walked up and down the stairs, his mind could not stop thinking about what had happened the night before. Savannah looked stunning in her outfit, leaving Carson in awe. He had never seen her dress in such a style before. Granted, he left before they could hang out like true adults. There were so many things he saw for the first time while with Savannah. From being naked to dancing her heart out with Wyatt.

Secretly, watching her grind up against him made him feel an overwhelming sense of angst. They were not close to him on the dance floor, but he always noticed Savannah from afar. She certainly took his words literally, as she enjoyed herself. He could not help but want her to have a good time with him, though.

Of course, he could not do anything because Maeve took up all of his time. The girl came on so strong that it was difficult to ignore. Carson was always aware of her breasts being in his face. She would get extra excited whenever he was nearby. Her small, soft hands never stopped exploring his body so freely. He liked how open she was about her desires, but he did not think he would be able to sleep with her. As much as he wanted to, he could not stop thinking about Savannah's reaction. He did not think she would mind, though, given how she had not reacted to her antics at Sugar.

It is safe to say his thoughts were conflicted on the subject. As much as he enjoyed returning home, he could not help but notice the emotional turmoil that accompanied it. His constant need for physical touch, combined with his complicated relationship with Savannah, caused him to question his reality in the worst way possible. Is he putting his friendship at risk by acting too quickly? Or does he do the right thing by not crossing the line at all? Whatever choice he made would eventually alter the course of his life.

Time passed, and the majority of the room was cleared. They were constantly moving furniture and packing up the majority of Maeve's clothes for storage. Savannah was still sleeping soundly, so Carson, Cole, Violet, and Maeve were the only ones present. Carson expected nothing less after such a wild night. She had never truly partied before.

"What do we think?" Violet always started the conversation. "Is club Rendezvous going to be our new spot?"

They were taking a break after moving stuff all day. Carson was winded, and Cole was drinking a bottle of water right beside him.

"Perfect spot for this warmer weather we are having right now," Maeve said before looking over at Carson. "Plus, I would gladly dance with you every night."

Carson could only smile at her candor. Especially since it was always right in front of everyone. "I wouldn't mind going back." His shoulders shrug, casually ignoring what Maeve said. It was not that he did not enjoy her flirting. He was only being cautious.

Cole finally finished his water and added to the conversation. "Good luck convincing Savannah to join us every weekend," he said. "You know she's not much of a partier."

Carson sneered. "Oh she'll come. Even if I have to carry her there." That wasn't a joke either.

Violet laughed, knowing Carson would be true to his word. It did not matter to him whether she wanted to hang out with a bunch of sweaty, drunk people. She was going to come because Carson wanted her to stop hiding from the world. They were so young and had no children. He knew she had just been through something tragic, but that was even more reason for her to come out of her shell. To turn this tragedy into something positive.

Following his comment, Savannah appeared behind them, holding a cup of coffee. Carson thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen, despite the fact that her hair was in a messy bun and she appeared exhausted. Her soft smile suggested that she had a great time last night, which was more than Carson could have asked for.

Everyone screamed at her at the same time. "There she is!"

Savannah rolled her eyes at her excessively loud friends. "Good morning, afternoon, or whatever the hell it is," she said quietly.

"It's the afternoon and we've missed you!" Violet jumped to her feet to hug Savannah. "I've been dying to hear how your night with Wyatt."

Maeve smirked as she brushed past Carson. "When are you gonna get your freak on girl?"

Carson detested hearing this conversation. Not only was that personal information, but he was also jealous. For some reason, he could not shake the desire to be the one she was referring to, despite the fact that they had already committed the act. He would be irritated if he knew she was planning to sleep with him. She had just met the guy. Don't these things take time?

Realizing it was his cue to leave, he grabbed another piece of furniture and headed downstairs to the dumpster. He stood there for a minute, attempting to process his emotions. The only question he kept asking himself was why. Why did he feel this way? Were there any other explanations for his depressive behavior? Maybe he's always been like this but never noticed.

That does not explain why he would be jealous that Savannah might find love with someone else. This was his best friend, and he found it difficult to be happy because she was putting herself out there. Even as children, he despised it when she went on tangents about certain guys because he knew they were bad. Not when he was sitting there, desperate for her to notice him. It appeared that the only way to obtain that was through physical means. However, taking advantage of that option was a bad idea and would only hurt them both in the long run.

Carson felt as if he would never find the answers to his questions, but it was his brother who put him in the hot seat. Cole came trotting over, holding another piece of furniture before throwing it away. He took out one of his many cigarettes, which Carson despised, but he was not about to tell him what to do.

Cole lit it and looked at him with a silly smile. "Wanna hit?" He was merely joking.

Carson swatted his hand away, rolling his eyes. "You know I don't smoke jackass."

Cole laughed teasingly. "I know, I was just messing around." He licked his lips before adopting a more serious expression. "Anyway, what's going on with you? Why did you leave so abruptly?"

Carson shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Hearing about my friend's sex life is not my cup of tea," he admitted.

"Well, you will be happy to know that she immediately switched topics when she saw you leave," he told him. "She asked for you."

Carson smiled to himself, expecting no less from Savannah. He knew she was always worried about him, but this time she did not have to be. This was something he had to handle on his own. Of course, his brother would be present to guide him in the right direction. He was always present when Carson needed him the most.

Carson, leaning against the brick wall, attempted to hide his emotions by looking up at the sky. "Well...that's cool," he said nonchalantly.

"Yeah, so tell me why you had sex with her?" Cole cut to the chase.

Carson's cheeks grew hot as he realized Savannah had told him. He forgot how close those two are because he rarely sees them alone. It should have been obvious when she followed him outside of Sugar yesterday. That girl practically tells Cole everything, as if he were Violet. Carson did not want to have this conversation with him, but it was too late to back out.

Carson shrugged his shoulders while rolling his eyes. "We were in the heat of the moment," he somewhat lied. "And it's not like she didn't agree."

Cole put out his cigarette before becoming annoyed with his brother. "That doesn't matter Carson. You and I both know your relationship with sex isn't exactly spectacular," he reamed into him.

"I was not using her for that purpose," Carson defended himself. "I was trying to help a friend out."

"By sticking your dick in her?" Cole asked furiously.

Carson pursed his lips. "Well, when you put it that way..."

Cole's words sounded bad, but he made everything sound bad. Carson could never meet his brother's standards. Despite the fact that they were twins, they led very different lives. Cole was always cool-headed and the person everyone wanted to hang out with. He was outgoing, intelligent, and had everything ready in his back pocket.

Carson was not like him. He was not a talker, did not know what he wanted out of life, and his go-with-the-flow attitude was not cutting it as much as he would hoped. Sure, people flocked to him because that was their life, but no one ever sought advice or comfort from him in the same way that Cole did. Savannah looked to Cole for the extra comfort Carson could not seem to provide. Not to mention the negative thoughts that would occasionally flood his mind for no apparent reason. He could be having the best day ever, and then his mood shifts.

Cole did not have those problems, which irritated Carson when he tried to lecture him. Carson would be more open to his advice if he could understand it. However, he could never understand what was going on in Carson's mind because Carson could not understand it either. To him, he was only good for a fuck.

Cole figured he was not getting through to him, but he wanted to steer Carson in the opposite direction. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, but Savannah is supposed to be your best friend," he said.

"She is my best friend," Carson reiterated.

"Then stop being an idiot and be her friend!" Cole spoke sternly.

Carson scoffed. "I just got back, man. Cut me slack."

"You just got back and already slept with her. How much more slack do you need?" Cole was furious.

Carson could sense his brother's annoyance and did not want to aggravate the situation. In some ways, Cole was correct. He should not have crossed that line with her, especially since it was to satisfy his nagging desire to be touched. Despite his brother's words, Carson would gladly have her again. She was unlike any other girl he had ever slept with. The feeling she gave him was unparalleled. Not only would he do it again, but he needed it.

"Point taken," Carson sighed. "I won't hurt her though. That's never my intention."

"Then you better nip that Maeve situation in the bud, because Savannah will be pissed." Cole warned him.

That was another problem he could not seem to solve. He would love to sleep with her too, but it was a fine line to walk. He enjoyed Maeve's snarky banter, but he did not want to give her the wrong impression if he crossed the line. He also did not want to cross any lines with Savannah, who was his best friend. Carson began to believe that if he could keep his penis under control, it would make his life easier.